Brotherly Bonds Chapter 1
by FeelseyWriter
Summary: What would Clint's brother do for him to keep him safe? How far will he go? In return, how far might Clint go to save his brother when they get older?
1. Chapter 1

**Brotherly Bonds**

**Chapter 1**

To the outside world, the Bartons looked like one big, happy family, they weren't. Harold Barton had two sons and a beautiful wife, along with running his own successful butcher shop, but that still didn't seem to be enough for him. He, for whatever reason, was not happy with his life and so he'd go out and get drunk and then go home and beat on his wife and sons. One day Barney, the older of the two boys, came home from school to find his father yelling at his mother for looking at another man the wrong way. His mother was on the floor, begging for forgiveness, tears streaming down her cheeks as his father continued to beat her, Clint was in the far corner of the room, curled in a ball, clenching his Robin Hood teddy bear, and crying.

Barney, who was a freshmen in high school, sighed. He had just come home from football practice and once again it would be his job to break this up. Barney sighed again and dropped his school stuff and then grabbed his father's shoulder and pulled him back.

"That's enough," Barney said with a frown.

"What, you'd rather I beat on that mistake," his father yelled in a drunken stupor.

"Clint is not a mistake, now go sleep this off, you're drunk and you need to sleep it off," Barney said firmly.

"I won't forget you screwed up my punishment," his father muttered, but Barney just shoved him another step closer to the stairs.

When their father was out of sight, Barney bend down next to Clint and gently touched his shoulder. When Clint flinched, and a small whimper escaped, Barney's heart broke. He sighed and gently turned Clint to face him. "It's alright Clint, dad's gone and it's just me and mom and you." Clint turned and carefully looked around, fear still in his eyes. When dh did a full inspection of the room, he saw that in fact, their father was not there, Clint reached up and wrapped his seven year old little arms around Barney's neck and hugged him, Barney hugged him back and then sighed, "Clint, mom needs help, go get the medical kit, would you?"

Clint looked over at his mother and then scurried off to get the med kit. Barney patched their mother up and then helped her to the couch, figuring it was better for her to sleep down there then up with their father. That night, Clint slept with Barney, too afraid to sleep in his own room, afraid their father would wake up and lash his anger out on him.

The next morning was Saturday, and tensions were high. Clint sat rigidly in a chair reading a western novel, his mother nervously went around dusting, and Barney waited for the unavoidable. When their father did come down, he sneered at his two boys and scowled at his wife.

"Go to the store you worthless woman, and I don't want to see you for the next three hours, IN fact, if I do, you'll wish you never set foot in this house, got it," he thundered and Barney looked up, taking his headphones from his iPod out. He watched his mother hesitate, as if she wanted to say something, but then turned and left.

Harold Barton turned on the boys as soon as he heard his wife start the car and drive off, no doubt in tears. Harold Barton took off his belt and headed for Clint, but Barney jumped up and stopped him.

"No, leave him alone," Barney thundered, putting himself between Clint and their father, his arms stretched out in front of Clint to protect him.

Their father raised an eyebrow, "You gonna take the punishment for that mistake?"

Barney's eyes grew hateful as he nodded slowly, "Yeah, I will."

"Then get your ass moving," his father thundered.

Barney turned to Clint and handed him his IPod, "Clint, this is very important, I need you to take my IPod and listen to it while I'm gone. Listen to that and read your book, promise me?"

"But you'll get hurt," Clint said with worry.

"I'll be fine, just promise me," Barney said quickly.

"Come on boy, it's time for your punishment," their father thundered again.

"Promise me," Barney ordered again and Clint nodded.

"Okay, I promise."

Barney followed his father out with a hateful glare, but he wouldn't change his mind. Taking a few beatings from his father would keep Clint safe so he would gladly do it. Barney followed his father up the stairs and raised a brow when they stopped at his father's bedroom door and walked in.

Harold Barton closed the door behind them, belt still in hand, and turned to his oldest son. "Take off your shirt boy," his father ordered.

Barney raised a brow at this, but not wanting his father to go after his innocent seven year old brother, he complied. Barney had a sickenly bad feeling he knew where this was going, but he tried to push that aside. However, he couldn't ignore the lustful looks his father was giving him, or the fact that he'd been dragged to the bedroom, with the doors shut behind him and his mother gone, or the fact that he'd been ordered to take his shirt off, and possibly more after that. He also couldn't ignore the way his father fingered the rim of his pants and how his father's eyes seemed to roam his exposed body.

"Now take off your pants Barnard, and climb into the bed," his father ordered, licking his lips, and Barney's heart sank. Barney hesitated, eyeing the door and trying to figure out how drunk his father was when his father locked the door. "Did I hesitate," his father asked, taking another drink, "or do I need to go down and get the Mistake and bring him up?"

Barney sighed, he had to protect his little brother, and although he hated it, he slowly reached for his pants and began to undo them, "No sir, you don't have to get him, I can do as you ask." Barney removed his pants and got into the bed and glared at his father with hate as he watched his own father remove his pants and then retrieve something out of the dresser. Barney scowled as his father climbed into bed and he saw what had been removed was a pair of hand cuffs.

His father sat them on the side table with a smile and looked at Barney, "Those are for later. I use them on your mother when she's been bad, but today, they are for my naughty son. Now, lets start with the basic punishment first," his father said taking a long swig of his drink. "You will take my boxers off for me and then explore down there, rubbing my cock. Once you've started that, and relaxed me, I will begin exploring you. After that is when the real fun begins, I get to use my toys, now get started before I change my mind!"

Barney glared at his father, but slowly did as he was told. Barney hated himself, and knew his hand would never feel clean again, but he still made himself to do it. Barney shuddered as he felt his own boxers removed and his father explored "down there," with one hand and the other explored the rest of his body. Slowly his father moved in and began to kiss him, shallow at first, and then they got deeper and his father's tongue explored his own, and he felt as though he felt as though he could be sick.

An hour passed, and his father's hands finally stopped. Barney foolishly thought it was over until he saw his father open his fourth bottle and grabbed the cuffs. Barney was hands were cuffed to his father's bed so that there was no escape as his father roughly pulled his bare legs open.

"There will be no lube for you, naughty boys don't get lube," his father said in a dark tone. Another hour passed as his father finished his third taking.

Barney had cried out in pain, he couldn't help it, this was an all new pain, far worse then any beating his father had given him. After the third taking, his father pulled out roughly and then freed him of the cuffs. Barney's legs were covered with blood and his father's "love juice," as he'd called it, but apparently his father wasn't done. Harold Barton shoved his oldest son to his knees in front of him and then opened his les wider.

"Clean me up boy, and make it slow so I can enjoy it," and then he finished off his fifth bottle.

Once it was all done, Barney felt sick, but he hadn't been allowed to clean himself up. "Get dressed, you can wear my love juice on you the rest of the day. And remember boy, if you say anything, or you fight me next time I chose to punish you, then I'll grab that mistake downstairs and punish him instead!"

"You leave Clint alone," Barney thundered.

"Then you'll do as I say boy, understand," his father thundered and Barney sighed but nodded. "That means you'll tell no one of this, understand!" Again Barney nodded and his father smiled. "That means you'll tell no one of this, understood!" Again Barney nodded and his father smiled. "Good, now turn back to me so I can punish you," his father said grabbing his deposited belt.

"Then what the HELL were those last two hours," Barney thundered.

"That was punishment as well, but that mistake down stairs, and that worthless woman will want to check you for markings from your punishment, so turn," his father ordered and with a sigh, Barney complied. Harold Barton lashed out and hit his eldest son twenty times on his bare back and not once did Barney cry out. When it was over, Barney put his shirt back on with a wince and walked down the stairs to a terrified Clint. It took Barney a little time to reassure Clint that he was fine before their mother came in and checked him over.

A month passed and nothing changed. Harold Barton continued to drink, and his family continued to pay the price. After his third time of "punishment," Barney was rewarded with a gift from his father, a set of black thongs, to be worn at all times. Barney hated his father more and more with each passing day, but he always reminded himself with each passing day that what he did, he did to protect his little brother Clint. There were still times his father got drunk and just felt like beating on Clint, but it was far less now then it had been.

After two months, Harold Barton sent his wife Edith, and his "mistake" son Clint away on a camping trip, telling them he'd stay and he and Barney could run the shop, and that way Barney could go to his football games. Edith Barton wasn't stupid, she knew something was up with her oldest son, she had noticed the mood changes, but Barney wouldn't talk about it, and her husband didn't give her a choice on the trip, he made her and Clint go.

That weekend Barney was allowed to go to his game, but every day after that he "belonged" to his father and rarely was he allowed to leave the bed; his father was drunker than normal, and if Barney wanted anything, he had to work for it. Whenever it was time for him to wash himself off, he was only allowed to do so while showering with his father, which made school gym showers seem so much better. The weekend never seemed so slow to Barney, but finally Sunday came and he was relieved.

His father had passed out an hour ago after doing him both in the front and back, and the only reason he wasn't stuck under his drunken father this time was because he had been given him an "oral" job before he'd passed out. Barney knew his mother and brother would be home soon, so he opted for a shower to wash his father off him.

He turned the water to scolding hot, so he could burn the filth off him, though it never seemed to work, he always felt dirty nowadays, but there was nothing he could do about that. He was just about to get in the shower when a strong hand gripped his shoulder and held him back.

"What do you think you are doing boy," his father thundered.

Barney pulled free of his father, "I'm showering so mom and Clint won't find out about your little "punishment" for me this weekend."

"Then I'll shower with you," his father said simply.

"No you won't," Barney replied patiently, pushing him back. "Mom and Clint will be home any minute, and what will they think of you being in the shower with me," Barney said pushing his father closer to the bathroom door.

His father growled in anger, but before he could say anything, they heard a voice call from downstairs. "Um Harold, dear, dear, we're um, home." Barney could hear the hesitation in her voice and felt bad for her. He could tell she was afraid, and he didn't blame her.

His father let out another frustrated snarl and then left. He went to his room and dressed then met his wife in the hall. "Come on Edith, we have that party to go to!"

She looked at him but knew better then to argue. "Maybe I should drive dear," She said with apprehension.

"NO! I'm the man of this house and I'll drive," he thundered and then they took off.

Barney took about an hour long shower in the scolder hot water before getting out and dressing. When he came downstairs Clint, who was now eight, sat in the corner of the room quietly, holding his Robin Hood teddy bear. Barney sighed and was going to go to him when there was a knock at the door. The fear in Clint's eyes grew and Barney sighed.

"It's okay kid, I'll get it," Barney said and then ruffled his brother's hair, when seemed to relax at that, before answering the door. There standing at the door were two officers, and looked past them, outside, Barney could see it raining.

"Can I help you officers," he asked politely, he didn't have the foggiest idea why they were there, though he secretly wished they were there to arrest his father.

"Are you a," the first man paused and looked down at his clipboard, "Charles Bernard Barton?"

"It's Barney, and yes, I am. How can I help you? I haven't done anything wrong, have I," he asked calmly.

"And is there a," He paused again, looking down at his notes and back up, "Clinton Francis Barton here?"

"Yeah, he's my little brother and he's inside. What's this all about officers," Barney asked with a frown.

"Well, it's about your parents son, we found your father driving drunk, and he had an accident, I'm afraid he didn't make it," the second officer responded.

"Good, I hope he burns in hell," Barney muttered. "Was there anything else?"

"Yes, um, we found your mother with him, she, uh, died on impact, the second officer added slowly.

Barney cursed under his breath and looked over his shoulder, how was he going to tell Clint? Before he could process that thought, the first officer continued. "We couldn't find any next of kin, so…"

Barney looked up, "There isn't any."

"That's what we thought, we have a social worker outside, she is going to ask you a few questions and then she'll be taking you to the state home until a faster home can be found or a family comes to adopt you," the officer continued.

The next few hours went by in a flurry. The social worker came in and asked questions, Barney spent his time calming Clint, they had to pack all their things, and then the social worker dropped them off at the state home. Barney and Clint shared a room, both having their own beds, but that first night Clint fell asleep in Barney's arms, crying himself to sleep. Only when he knew they were alone, and that Clint was asleep, did he allow himself to weep for the loss of their mother.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Barney had been at the state home for a week when Mr. Black called him into his office. The office hours were over, but Barney just shrugged it off, Mr. Black was the head of the state home, so maybe he had work to do after hours, after all, he was in charge of the home and he did live there too, so maybe it was something to do with him and Clint finding a home, but if that were the case, why didn't he call Clint in as well. In truth, Barney didn't care much for Headmaster Black, that was what they had to call him since he was the head of the home, because he never seemed so found of Clint. Clint was a good kid and kept working hard, so Barney didn't see any reason for the headmaster to not like him, but whatever.

Barney arrived at the headmaster's office and had a seat, looking at him. He wasn't sure what the headmaster wanted, or why he was there so he waited for him to speak. That was something Barney had learned quickly here, you never speak here unless asked a direct question, so he waited.

"Barney, I'm sure you are wondering why I called you in here at this late hour," The headmaster asked with a smile.

"Well yes sir, I am curious," Barney replied quietly.

"I asked you here because your case worker seemed to think your father had been abusive to both you and your brother and she wanted me to talk to you about it. Could you tell me what your father would do to you?"

Barney paused for a moment. He knew you were to answer when asked a direct question, but what had happened between him and his father were things he wished he could forget, and that was what he was trying to do, he didn't really want to talk about them now. "I'd rather not sir," Barney replied quietly.

Headmaster Black smiled at him, "It's alright Barney, you can be honest with me in here, no one else will hear about it other then me."

Barney shook his head, "I understand that sir, but I have been spending this time trying to forget what happened, my father never really was a loving man."

"Oh, I don't think that is so, in fact, I think he loved you very much," Headmaster Black said with a smirk and Barney raised an eyebrow. "You see, your father and I were old colleges, I've known him for years, and when he passed away, I, being the head of this home, was able to help clean out his home to see what kind of home you had been living in so I could determine a good home for you and your brother. I must say I was quite happy to see the love your father had for you, in fact, I found a few of his love presents he left behind for you, and I was quite shocked to find you didn't want to bring them with you."

Barney raised a brow, and then gasped when he saw what Headmaster Black pulled out of his desk, using a key to unlock the compartment. There in his hands, Headmaster Black held up the black silk thong and the handcuffs. Barney shook his head, "No, when he died, I swore I'd never do such things again, and you can't make me!"

"Oh, is that so? And why was it you allowed your father to show you love the first time," he asked and Barney frowned.

"That was not love! That was a twisted drunkard's sick way of getting pleasure! He never loved me, he only used me," Barney thundered!

"Ah yes, I figured you would have an answer like that, so tell me, what was it that made you agree to his love, if it wasn't something you wanted, hum? You are a strong young man and very agile, you seemed to be the best on your football team, surely a young man of your strength could overpower a drunken man. So, if you didn't do it because you wanted, why did you do it, hum? Could it be because you did it to save that little brat of a brother," Headmaster Black asked with a smirk and Barney gasped.

"You can't mean that! You are the head of this home, you couldn't do that to one of your kids, it's not legal," Barney said quickly.

"You can take my words however you want to Bernard, that is up to you," he said with a smirk.

Barney shook his head, "No, you couldn't do that to Clint!"

"Who said I would do that to a reject like him? Doing that to him would be a waste of my time. Although he is a growing boy, and he would be entertaining, I would have to work for it too much, and it would be harder to hide. With you, you are full grown, and I know you can keep a secret, after all, you kept it about your father. No, I am not saying I would harm Clint in such a manner. The honest truth is that when there is a fight between the boys in this home and they are beating each other to a pulp, who is it that steps in and protects those being beaten up, hum? Oh, that's right, it's my job to protect them, isn't it? And when families come to adopt a child, who is it that shows them around, lets them see the children here and tries to influence their choice on which kid to take, that's right, it's me, isn't it? So no, I wouldn't hurt your brother, there is no need, but if you don't want to show how much you care about me, I can make sure your brother never finds a home and that living here is hell for him. I won't protect him from the older boys, in fact, I will make sure he is around the older boys, when you are not around. So, think about that Bernard before you say you don't want to show me you care," Headmaster Black said with a smirk, knowing full well what Barney would chose.

Barney sighed, his eyes showing his emotional pain, but nodded slowly, "Fi…Fine, I'll do what you ask, but you are not to let any harm come to Clint!"

Headmaster Black smirked, "I knew you would see it my way," he handed Barney the black silk thong with a smirk, "Here you are, go on and get changed and then return to my room, it's just through these doors."

Barney looked surprised, "You want to start tonight? You only just told me about it."

Headmaster Black smirked, "There's no time like the present, now go get changed."

"But…Clint is waiting for me," Barney replied, still surprised and a bit fearful, he though his days of doing this were over.

"Then I suppose we'll have to make it a quick session tonight so you can get back to that mistake," the man replied.

"Clint is not a mistake," Barney thundered.

"Go on now, go change and come back to my room, don't make me wait or I will make sure your brother's day is hell tomorrow," Black replied and Barney sighed.

Slowly Barney trudged down to the bathroom and went into one of the stalls and changed. He hated the feeling of these things, they were always so tight and uncomfortable, but he would have to deal, he was once again doing this to protect Clint. After changing, he slowly walked back to Headmaster Black's office, but this time, he walked into the bedroom rather then just staying in the office, and that night was one of the worst of his life.

An hour later Barney hobbled back to his own bedroom to meet a terrified Clint. Apparently Clint had been hiding under the blanket because lights out had been a while ago and young eight year old Clint was afraid of the dark. Clint shivered in fear under his blanket as he clenched his Robin Hood bear closely and Barney sighed. He walked over to his brother's bed and sat down.

"It's okay squirt, I'm back, and there's nothing to be afraid of."

Clint looked up at his big brother with wide eyes, "Barn, where were you? I was so scared that the boogie monster got you." Clint was of course too old to believe in such things, but all growing up their father had scared Clint with tails of the 'Boogie Monster,' and how he would grab unsuspecting kids right out of their beds and eat them all up. Clint often would hide in Barney's room to hide from that monster, and tonight was the same. Barney crawled into bed with Clint and wrapped his arms around him.

"It's okay Clint, I was just doing a job for Headmaster Black, I promised you I would always be here and I am," he said with a warm smile. "It's just that Headmaster Black has a few jobs he needs done later at night, and I guess he trusts me enough to give me those jobs."

Clint looked at him, worried, "So…So you'll be working at night? You won't be here?"

"No need to worry kid, Headmaster Black promised that on the nights he needs me to work, he'll let me come back before the morning so I can still sleep in here. I may be late, but I will be back. Now hush, everything is okay, and I am here, I'll be here for you, now get some sleep."

Clint didn't want to go to sleep, but Barney started to hum a song their mother use to sing to them to get them to sleep, and Clint slowly relaxed. In less then five minutes, Clint was asleep, and Barney sighed with relief. It took Barney twice as long to get to sleep, feeling used and dirty again, but eventually, his tired eyes won out and he fell asleep.

Over the next few years Barney served Headmaster Black's needs, and Clint was kept safe. Barney hated it, he was mad all the time, mad at his father for what he'd started, mad at his mother for leaving them all alone in this world, mad at Headmaster Black for the way he was treated. Barney was just really mad, and sadly he took his anger out on Clint. He bullied Clint, wanting Clint to have a taste of the hell he faced all the time now, but he felt horrible for it. He didn't mean to take his anger out on Clint, it just seemed to be his only vessel, and Clint always took it, taking up Barney's chores in the home and always trying harder to please Barney.

Finally Barney had had enough! He was tired of "meeting the needs" of Headmaster Black, and he wanted out! He knew he couldn't do anything without putting Clint in danger, so one night he packed all his things, and all of Clint's things and was ready to go. He had heard of a traveling circus that was coming through town, they could join up and run away and never have to look back at this home or Headmaster Black again, it was the only way to keep Clint and himself safe. Once everything was packed he woke Clint up to tell Clint his plan.

"But we can't just leave Barney, what if a family comes and wants to adopt us," Clint argued.

"No one's gonna adopt us kid, can't you see that," Barney fired.

"How do you know that," Clint asked raising a brow.

"Because…Because I just do," he thundered. How could he tell his little brother he knew they wouldn't be adopted because Headmaster Black would make sure they didn't. How could he tell him that Headmaster Black wanted them to stay because he wanted to keep Barney as his "toy." No, they were much better off leaving. "Besides kid, if we leave and join the circus, they will become our family."

Clint shook his head, "I don't know about this Barney."

Barney growled in annoyance, "Fine, don't come, stay here in this hell hole, but I'm leaving!"

Clint watched Barney pick up his stuff and go to leave and he grabbed his own bags and hurried after him, "Barney, wait, I'm coming too!"

With some quick talking, Barney was able to land them both jobs. Clint got a job with the Swordsmen, and Barney got a job as a roustabout. They were only there that night before the circus packed up and left town, and Barney never looked back, finally free of that life.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Clint and Barney loved the circus, and just as Barney had said, the circus people became like a family to them. When they first came, Clint was instantly drawn to the Swordsmen act and was not even afraid of the tricks of that trade. Impressed by his guts and bravery, the Swordsmen took Clint on as his assistant. Barney was proud of the boy his little brother had become, but he started to notice something about the circus, every town they stopped in, people started to complain that they had been robbed, and all of the people who had been robbed had been to the circus. Barney was suspicious, but he had no proof of the matter, nothing but the fact that his little brother seemed more distant and craftier. Barney was curious about the change in his brother, but he brushed it off to living in a new place with new people, surely no one would hurt his little brother in the way he was thinking.

Barney started to notice it more when Clint began to work for Trick Shot, the archer in the circus. Barney watched his brother and Trick Shot, who had agreed to teach Clint archery so he could settle a debt he had with the Swordsmen. Barney was happy that Clint enjoyed the act, seeing as Clint seemed to have a natural flare for the sport, but he worried about him. Clint was becoming more distant and moodier. He had seen the signs in himself once before, back when his father, and then Headmaster Black, had taught him about "love." Barney worried about Clint and only hoped he was wrong, but then he caught his brother in the act of stealing.

Fed up with the dishonesty and thievery in the circus, Barney left for a time and got his high school equivalent. He came to Clint with the news, hoping he would be happy about it, but Clint wasn't. Clint wanted Barney to stay, and that proved to him that something was wrong, Clint was now a teenager, he could take care of himself, unless something was really wrong. Barney tried and tried to convince Clint to come with him, but Clint refused. Clint claimed that he had to stay in the circus, that it was the only real home he had known in a long time. Barney was worried, but he wouldn't stay and go down with the circus if it was caught for its crimes. Barney tried one last time to convince Clint to leave the circus, to leave the life of crime he knew Clint was involved in, but Clint wouldn't do it. Barney could see the fear in his brother's eyes, but he couldn't continue to stay with the circus. Finally, he left, promising to come back and visit Clint one day. Clint looked so hurt and scared that Barney almost went to him again, almost wrapped him in his arms again, just like when they were kids, and show him he was safe and loved, but he couldn't, he couldn't stay here and continue to watch Clint get hurt and then turn around and steal from others, it was wrong. So Barney left the circus and joined the army, ready to move on with his life and better it for the first time in a long time. He was not going to put up with this any longer, he would not support their criminal acts of theft of innocent people, it was wrong.

A few years past, and Barney was finally trusted with a big job, an undercover job for the army. There was a notorious mob lord around their area and the army wanted someone to go in undercover and catch the man in the act. Barney was assigned to this man as a body guard, for the simple fact that Barney had the best shooting skills of anyone in his class. He hated working for such a slime ball, but it was getting the guy caught, it was for the greater good, so he would do it. He was to stand at this man's side and protect him from any threat, if he died, they would have no case on him.

It was just a normal day of work for him, his "boss" having yet another poker game while he and the others guarded outside the room, when they heard it, a yell from inside the room, something had happened. When Barney and the other guards broke in, the mob lord was dead, an arrow to the head. Barney paused, he knew the craftsmanship of the arrow, he'd seen it in the circus. Barney followed the others out of the room and his heart nearly stopped when he got out there to see what it was. There, in the yard, stood his brother, in his Hawkeye costume from the circus.

The men started shooting at Clint and Clint returned fire, shooting his bow at them. One of the men yelled at Barney to shoot, but how could he? This was his little brother and these men were shooting to kill, not to disarm, and his poor brother was only shooting to disarm. What chance would he have against them? Barney took his gun out and started shooting, but he purposefully avoided hitting his target, making sure his shots were off. He watched as one of the men shoot his brother and his eyes widened in shock when he felt an arrow pierce his chest.

Barney watched as the other men quickly ran off and he dropped to his knees. His vision was clouding, but he saw his brother run up to him and heard Clint gasp when he made the connection that the guard really was Barney. Barney felt better that his brother had not known it was him, but he hated seeing the pain on Clint's face. He listened as Trick Shot came running up and demanded Clint come with him, but Clint refused, he wouldn't leave Barney, and that made a small smile creep onto his face. After all these years, his little brother still remembered him and still loved him, that made Barney happy. Barney could feel himself fading fast as he heard the sirens coming, no doubt the police had been called when someone heard the shots. He begged Clint to leave, not to get caught, but with tears in his eyes, Clint only shook his head and refused, he wasn't going to leave Barney there to die alone!

Barney looked up into his little brother's eyes with a smile, "It…It's okay Cl…Clint, I'll be fine…I…I'm going to get to see mom again." He watched as the tears in Clint's eyes flooded over and started to spill out as he held Barney close in his arms.

"I…I'm sorry…I'm so, so sor…sorry," Clint cried, "I..I didn't know it was you."

Barney slowly lifted a shaky finger to Clint's lips to silence him, though it took most of his strength, "It's okay Clint, I know. I understand that you are afraid of Trick Shot, bu…But you have to leave him. This life of crime will get you…you nowhere, understand? Clint, please…you have to promise me…Promise me you will leave this life of crime and become a hero. Please Clint."

Barney was fading fast and he knew he wouldn't last much longer, but he had to know, he still had to take care of his little brother. Finally, Clint nodded, "Al…Alright Barney, I…I promise."

Clint stayed with Barney until he finally drew his last breath and then ran, just before the cops got there, but he had no idea that the whole thing had been caught on a security tape.

/

**Sorry for just the one sided view, I promise to update as soon as I can and I will give you Clint's point of view on what is going on and why he feared both the Swordsmen and Trick Shot. Be ready for a lot more feels.**


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